🚀 go-pugleaf

If you plan to watch the annual display of summer meteor showers --
start soon, before the moon gets in the way.  More -- right after
this.

July 21  Summer Meteor Showers

Summertime is one of the best times to watch meteors.  Two rich meteor
showers converge in late summer -- the steady Delta Aquarid shower --
and the famous, and often spectacular, Perseid meteor shower.
Together, they can create breathtaking displays of summer meteors -- or
"shooting stars" -- which can be seen in most years by anyone standing
beneath a clear, dark country sky.

But this year we won't see as many meteors, even though the annual
summertime showers will be taking place right on schedule.  Old
whiteface -- the moon -- will get in the way just as the Perseid meteor
shower peaks in mid-August.

The moon is just past last quarter now.  That means it's in the sky
only after midnight -- and waning, or getting smaller -- and rising
closer to the dawn each day.  New moon, when the moon is directly
between the Earth and sun, and not visible in our sky, will be July
28.

No moon is best for watching meteors -- so a good time to trek into the
country for a meteor-watching session would be about a week from now,
around new moon.

After that, in the early part of August, as the Perseid shower is
rising to its peak -- the moon also will be waxing -- and shedding more
and more light in the sky.  By the mornings of August 11 and 12, when
the Perseids reach their peak, the moon will be full -- a round ball
shining brightly and serenely -- making all but the brightest meteors
invisible in its glare.

Script by Deborah Byrd.


(c) Copyright 1983, 1984 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin